AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 1703 AND 1706, TITLE 14, DELAWARE CODE, RELATING TO UNITS OF PUPILS AND DIVISION II APPROPRIATION.

WHEREAS, there are more employment opportunities today than people trained to avail themselves of these opportunities; and

WHEREAS, certain trades and occupations are critically short of the craftsmen and technicians needed by our society; and

WHEREAS, approximately half our young people terminate their education at or before the end of the twelfth grade and so should be prepared by our education system to forthwith begin regular employment in a satisfying occupation of their choice; and

WHEREAS, in spite of the numerous job offerings, too many of our people, because they have no skills, remain unemployed or under-employed, their families often a burden on the taxpayer; and

WHEREAS, cooperative and work-study programs have proven extraordinarily successful as a rewarding transition from school to work, as have other vocational and occupation courses offered in our high schools; and

WHEREAS, the State Board of Education must annually approve vocational-occupational programs, it will, therefore, be necessary to maintain a perpetual evaluation of all such programs; and

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Legislature to offer an incentive to all the school districts in the State to expand their vocational occupational offerings so that a higher percentage of high school pupils will be work oriented and trained to become productive citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

Section 1. Section 1703, Title 14, Delaware Code, is hereby amended by striking the paragraph pertaining to vocational school units, being the third full paragraph beginning with the word "Notwithstanding", in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:

"Notwithstanding the fact that such pupils have been counted in regular units of pupils, grades seven to twelve, inclusive, in the same or another school district, pupils who are enrolled in a vocational or occupational education program which has been approved annually by the State Board of Education and which is conducted by any public school district shall also be counted for entitlement to vocational units.

Pupils having been counted in the occupational-vocational units of pupils shall be deducted from the regular unit entitlement of a comprehensive high school according to the following formula:

Occupational-vocational units x .5 = deductible units

(A major fraction shall be considered a whole unit)

An occupational-vocational unit for financing purposes shall mean 450 pupil-periods per week or major fraction thereof after the first full unit. A pupil-period shall be defined as one pupil enrolled in an occupational-vocational class for a minimum of forty-five minutes."

Section 2. Section 1706, Title 14, Delaware Code, is hereby amended by striking the second paragraph in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:

"The first paragraph of this section notwithstanding, the funds appropriated to each district for expenses included in Division II based upon each occupational-vocational unit as defined in Section 1703 of this Chapter shall be either one, two, or three times the amount determined for each non-occupationalvocational unit as designated according to rules and regulations of the State Board of Education."

Section 3. The provisions of this Act for the New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District and for pupils enrolled in Howard High School in the Wilmington Public Schools shall become effective on July 1, 1970 and for all other school districts on July 1, 1971.